• Hangul: 운명과 분노
• Director: Jung Dong-Yoon
• Writer: Kang Cheol-Woong
• Network: SBS
• Episodes: 40
• Release Date: December 1, 2018 – February 9, 2019
• Runtime: Saturdays 20:55-23:15 (140 minutes | 4 consecutive 35-minute episodes per Saturday)
• Language: Korean
• Country: South Korea

This drama follows Goo Hae-Ra (Lee Min-Jung), she learnt how to make shoes by hand like her father but she had to cut her dream short over the news of her older sister’s suicide attempt, at the beginning of the drama she struggles to keep up to date on the bills as well as finding employment. She meets Tae In-Joon (Lee Sang Wook) by chance, Tae In Joon is the Team Manager of a shoe company in his family business although he has never been interested in taking over the company after years of mistreatment from his father’s wife and half-brother Tae Jung-Ho, soon he and Goo Hae-Ra are both pulled into secrets and lies.

This was a reunion for the two main leads, they both worked together on a Romantic Comedy Drama called Cunning Single Lady (2014). While the drama they worked on before was a comedic and also boosted the success of the second lead Seo Kang Joon, this drama was a melodrama which I have to admit I am all for melodramas, I think the acting is so over the top but the twists are always the ones that keep me on the edge.

The starting premise is that Goo Hae Ra is approached by Jin Tae-O (Lee Ki Woo), he hires her to break up the relationship of Tae In Joon and Cha Soo Hyun (So E-Hyun), he has a specific reason as to why he wants them to break up. He initiates Goo Hae Ra to follow along in his plan by instigating that her sister’s suicide is in connection to Tae In Joon. Which sets off this melodrama.

I was even impressed with Lee Min Jung, this is her first melodrama and she did a fantastic job of being the main protagonist, her plan to take down Tae In Joon altered towards the end, she wasn’t the main protagonist anymore and she became an accomplice to the dodgy dealings. Also, Hae Ra’s plan was all over the place, the plan altered towards the final episodes but it wasn’t a successful victory for her to find out what happened to her sister. It kind of diverted to Tae In Joon and he ended up finding out the truth. While I am happy that the drama concluded, I still feel a little disappointed that the drama made too many plot twists and the conclusion was only in the last episode, it felt a little rushed.

Overall the drama was really good, I enjoyed watching four episodes a day and I really liked the reunion of Lee Min Jung and Lee Sang Wook. I’ll look forward to their future projects. xx